Kang Hajun set foot on Korean soil for the first time in a long while.
Ah…
Of course, it wasn’t that he’d completely stopped activities in Korea, but since his tours centered mostly on Japan and the rest of Asia, he hardly had time to come to Korea.
Personally lugging a fairly hefty carry-on, he left the airport together with his security detail.
Kyaaaaaaaaa—!
As the crowd swarmed in, he hurried into the van, and they pulled out.
Even though he’d just wrapped up a killer schedule, strangely enough, excitement outweighed fatigue.
It was probably because of the summons text from Executive Director Park. Would that be easy to misconstrue if said like that?
Not that he felt a thrill because Park had called him in.
[ Hajun, that rascal HS made a new song this time. Even from a rough listen it’s a male solo track. Who in our company can sing this song? No one but you. Hurry up, clear your schedule, and get back here. What’ll we do if they assume you’re busy and hand it off to some random person? ]
Right. He was excited because of what was written in the text.
“God-ches…”
Re-reading the message Executive Director Park sent, Kang Hajun pressed his hands together politely and gently closed his eyes.
“Here we go again…”
His manager watched him in the rearview mirror and thought the condition was advanced.
“Manager hyung!”
All of a sudden, Kang Hajun called to him and met his eyes in the rearview mirror.
“If there’s a dessert place on the way, could we stop by just once?”
At that, the manager decided yes, it was definitely advanced, and stepped on the gas.
Right.
A severe case of God-ches lovesickness.
Arriving at the LS Entertainment building, Kang Hajun headed first for Hyunseung’s studio, not Executive Director Park’s office.
Of course, Executive Director Park had repeatedly and earnestly told him that if he came in, he should come see him first…
But what can you do?
His body was taking him here.
Knock, knock-knock, knock!
He rapped on the door, all keyed up, and got a bright, crisp knocking sound in return.
Soon, the door opened, and there stood God-ches (*Hyunseung), radiant with a halo.
“Long time no see, sir!”
“Why am I your ‘sir’?”
“God— no, Composer!”
Hyunseung, standing there blocking the doorway, looked in no hurry to step aside.
“But you…”
Then he fixed a wary gaze on Kang Hajun and asked,
“Didn’t you say you were on tour?”
“Huh? You saw my texts?”
“You send them every day. How could I not?”
At that, Kang Hajun brightened and answered immediately,
“Really?”
His bright eyes sparkled as if he wanted the confirmation again.
However, Hyunseung wasn’t the type to play along with someone’s expectations and offer empty words.
“But your text-bombing got so bad, I finally couldn’t stand it and blocked you yesterday.”
At those words, Kang Hajun suddenly looked as if he’d lost the world, his shoulders drooping as he asked back,
“Is… is that true…?”
Nod.
“You really blocked my number…?”
Nod.
“Blocked forever…?”
Shrug.
“Did I get blocked out of the composer’s life…?”
Side-to-side head shake.
Hyunseung continued answering with head gestures for a moment, then said,
“You’re a pretty decent instrument. There’s no way that would happen.”
Replying firmly and decisively, he made Kang Hajun wag his tail like a puppy presented with treats.
“God-ches said I’m a pretty decent instrument…”
As a hardcore fan of Hyunseung, Kang Hajun knew well that Hyunseung referred to singers as “instruments.”
Which meant…
He also knew being called “a pretty decent instrument” was incredibly high praise.
“That’s enough for me!”
Beaming with a toothy smile, Kang Hajun hoisted his carry-on onto the table.
Thud!
It was so heavy that it banged loudly and sprang wide open in two halves.
“I couldn’t buy much since I came straight here after the tour, but I couldn’t come empty-handed, so I brought some gifts.”
“That’s ‘not much’?”
“Just a mid-season coat, a wallet, a belt, and some snacks for you.”
With the carry-on already packed full, he added a shopping bag on top as if there were more.
“Oh, and I heard you’ve been working out with the executive director lately, so I bought a pair of comfy trainers, too.”
Hyunseung looked back and forth between Kang Hajun and the suitcase with a weary face. The food was nice and all, but…
Clothes, wallet, belt, shoes… none of it was to Hyunseung’s taste. Of course, to others they’d all look nice and stylish.
From Hyunseung’s point of view, though, every one of them looked not very manly, and just not it.
“Forget it. Give them to your dad instead.”
At that, Kang Hajun asked, puzzled, “My father?”
“Yeah. By now he’s probably craning his neck waiting for you.”
“I texted my father. We’re having a family dinner tonight…”
“No, not that father. Your father at the company.”
“My father at the company? Ah—Executive Director Park?”
Hyunseung nodded and answered straight out,
“Yeah, he’s forever pining, ‘our Hajun, our Hajun.’ If you bring him stuff like this, he’ll love it.”
“Ah, but I bought these to give to God— no, no, to you, Composer, so please accept them…”
“Then the coat and shoes probably won’t be his size, so I’ll wear those. At least bring him the wallet and belt.”
Rather than argue further, Kang Hajun decided to acquiesce.
“O-okay…”
If he behaved, the composer would give him a song.
Just then, tearing open one of the snacks and popping it into his mouth, Hyunseung asked,
“But why did you suddenly come back?”
At the question, Kang Hajun parted his lips, hesitated, then said,
“I… was afraid the composer might forget me…?”
Even he felt embarrassed by what he’d said, and his face flushed bright red.
Hyunseung waved a hand as if to bat away the nonsense.
“Enough. I’m busy with work, so get going.”
At that instant, “New song work?” flashed in Kang Hajun’s eyes, but when Hyunseung firmly hustled him out, urging him to hurry, he let himself be pushed to the door.
“Okay, I’ll stop by again!”
Right. He’s making an amazing piece; I mustn’t get in the way!
“If you ever need me, just call! I can come running right away!”
He didn’t forget to leave that final appeal.
Ahh.
Call it… making his case.
Then, as Kang Hajun was stepping out of the studio…
“Pony Jiho, you know you absolutely have to clear your schedule, right?”
He heard Hyunseung talking on the phone behind him.
Thud!
With the heavy door shut at his back, he lowered his head.
Apparently, he wasn’t the protagonist of the new song this time.
“Ahn Jiho…”
Standing alone in the hallway, Kang Hajun murmured,
“I’m jealous…”
He was truly jealous that Ahn Jiho would receive a song from God-ches.
“Seriously…”
He was insanely jealous of the fact he was being called by a pet name.
Kim Woohyun was practically hopping as he walked, holding an official letter stamped with the Yunis Music Group logo.
He had to hurry and break the good news to Hyunseung.
“I did it, Geum-dong!”
Thinking of how delighted Hyunseung would be, Kim Woohyun quickened his pace even more.
Right.
He didn’t have a ready connection into Yunis Music Group, so he’d simply banked on the fact that their CEO had once come looking for Hyunseung and fired off an official letter…
As expected, they bit immediately. No, it was more than biting; he’d hooked a whopper.
Because the reply said not that they would come for cooperation, but that the singer “Sarah Stewart” herself would come in person.
Of course, there were quite a few conditions attached, but they were all things they could reasonably accommodate.
Knock, knock, knock!
Arriving at the studio, Kim Woohyun gave a token knock, then hurriedly undid the lock and stepped in.
“Geum-dong!”
Sensing the presence behind him in the middle of deep work, Hyunseung took off his headset.
“Hm.”
He studied the face of Kim Woohyun, who’d rushed up to him, then spoke.
“Judging from your expression, Division Head…”
Seriously, his poker face was terrible.
“Feels like you’ve come to deliver good news. Go on and tell me.”
“This is why I can’t stand quick-on-the-uptake punks.”
When Hyunseung cocked his head like he already knew, Kim’s excitement deflated. He’d wanted to spring it as a surprise…
Honestly, the kid had no sense of rhythm.
“It’s exactly what you’re thinking.”
Composing himself, Kim elaborated,
“We received a reply to our letter from Yunis Music Group.”
“I figured.”
“I also guessed they’d accept, but I didn’t expect this.”
He held out the precious letter he’d been cradling.
Taking it, Hyunseung began to read slowly down the page.
“Hm…”
After tracking the English text for a moment—
“Well, well.”
He chuckled and shook his head.
Because the terms written in the letter were a sight to behold.
Of course, for a rising star with a bit of clout, they were demands one could make, but the reason Hyunseung laughed was…
“As expected, an oddball.”
Because every item struck him as so very “her.”
Namely:
- Arrange for her to enter the country discreetly through a different exit at the airport.
- Prepare a dedicated van and a manager who can interpret.
- Provide a space where she can live independently. (However, not a place like a hotel where staff are always present.)
- Only review the arrangement of her work. (Her name may be registered with the copyright association.)
- Distribution must proceed through “Yunis Music Group,” no exceptions.
- Absolutely do not disclose anything about restrictions on collaborations between Sarah Stewart and Yunis Music Group to external parties. (If exposed, the contract is terminated immediately.)
From the fact that she’d put forward conditions he absolutely could not accept, it was clear the woman had no idea she’d once encountered him in a café.
Moreover, to demand, of a composer requesting that she sing his song, “4) Only review the arrangement of my work. (Name may be registered with the copyright association)”—
As first impressions go, she was definitely an oddball.
Right.
“A woman who just says what she wants… like an oddball.”
At his mutter, Kim Woohyun tilted his head.
“Huh?”
He realized that if you removed the word “woman,” those words perfectly described Hyunseung himself.
Of course, he didn’t say it aloud. He had no desire to rub Hyunseung the wrong way.
But still, how much of an oddball must she be, if he was calling her that?
As for her ability… the epithet “Goddess of the Billboard” already proved it.
But since she was so wrapped in mystique and almost never appeared on TV, there was far too little known about her.
According to rumors floating around foreign financial circles, she was supposedly from an incredibly wealthy family…
Not certain, though.
“Anyway…”
Since he couldn’t get a sense of just how odd “Sarah Stewart” might be, he felt a twinge of fear.
“Hopefully… the company can handle her.”
Turning his head, Kim looked steadily at Hyunseung’s face and thought,
“Then again…”
However much of an oddball they are, they can’t compare to our little treasure.
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